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Google to announce library database collaborations

Google plans to announce agreements with five major libraries to begin the …

Today, it is expected that Google will announce an agreement to scan and create databases of works from five major libraries. According to news reports, Google will digitize all volumes in the University of Michigan and Stanford University library systems along with parts of research libraries at Harvard, the New York Public Library, and Oxford University in England. More information on the scope of projects at the individual institutions can be found at news.com. The project looks to be an extension of Google Print and Google Scholar, while reaching all the way back to the Stanford library digitization project where Google originated.

"This project signals an era when the printed record of civilization is accessible to every person in the world with Internet access," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. "It is an initiative with tremendous impact today and endless future possibilities."

Some institutions, such as the University of Michigan, were in the process of digitizing library content on their own, but said it would have taken about 1,600 years with traditional scanning methods. Using technology developed by Google, they expect to have all 7 million volumes digitized in six years. The University has estimated it would have cost them between US$600 million to US$1 billion to have all their works digitized. It is unclear if there are any financial considerations in the agreements, but it seems likely that Google will retain advertising revenue generated from search advertisements in exchange for providing the institutions with digital copies and digitization know-how.

These projects will be full of copyright and clearance issues that may limit how some of the information may be used. Google will have to negotiate reproduction rights and how much material can be accessed through their search and databases. For public domain works, the complete article would be available for searching and reading. If successful, these projects will do more than just providing a library content search, it will be spreading an incredible amount of public domain works from the insides of walled buildings to millions of internet browsers around the world.